Method and apparatus for detecting a hazard detector signal in the presence of interference

Abstract

The present disclosure describes methods and apparatus for detecting a pattern warning signal from a hazard detector in the presence of a second pattern warning signal from a second hazard detector. In one embodiment, hazard detector monitoring device converts a pattern warning signal and a second pattern warning signal into a composite electronic signal, each of the first and second pattern warning signals comprising an on-time period followed by an off-time period. Next, the composite electronic signal is converted into a digital signal and then an on-time duration of the digital signal is determined as a time that the digital signal exceeded a first voltage threshold. Finally, an alarm signal is transmitted to a receiver when the pattern warning signal has been determined to be present, based on the on-time duration.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for detecting when a hazardous condition is present inside a structure, comprising:
 a transducer for converting a first pattern warning signal received from a first hazard detector and a second pattern warning signal received from a second hazard detector into a composite electronic signal, each of the first and second pattern warning signals comprising an on-time period followed by an off-time period; 
 an analog-to-digital converter for converting the composite electronic signal into a digital signal; 
 a memory for storing processor-executable instructions and one or more thresholds; 
 a transmitter for transmitting an alarm signal; and 
 a processor coupled to the analog-to-digital converter, the memory and the transmitter for executing the processor-executable instructions that causes the apparatus to:
 determine that the hazardous condition is present based on the first pattern warning signal and the second pattern warning signal; and 
 transmit an alarm signal to a receiver when the hazardous condition has been determined to be present, based on the on-time duration. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor-executable instructions that cause the apparatus to determine that a hazardous condition is present comprise instructions that cause the apparatus to:
 determine that an off-time duration of the digital signal as a time that the digital signal drops below a first voltage threshold stored in the memory. 
 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the processor-executable instructions that cause the apparatus to determine the off-time duration of the digital signal comprise instructions that cause the apparatus to:
 store a minimum off-time duration threshold in the memory equal to the off-time period; 
 store a maximum off-time duration threshold in the memory equal to twice the o-time period, less a gap time period; 
 determine when the digital signal exceeds the first voltage threshold; 
 after determining that the digital signal has exceeded the first voltage threshold, determine when the digital signal falls below a second voltage threshold; 
 determine the on-time duration of the digital signal based on the elapsed time between when the digital signal exceeded the first voltage threshold and when the digital signal fell below the second voltage threshold; 
 compare the on-time duration of the digital signal to the minimum and maximum on-time duration thresholds; and 
 determine that the hazardous condition is present when the on-time duration of the digital signal is greater than the minimum on-time duration threshold and less than the maximum on-time duration threshold. 
 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the gap time period is less than 10 percent of the on-time period. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the processor-executable instructions comprise further instructions that cause the apparatus to:
 after determining the on-time of the digital signal, determine an off-time duration of the digital signal; and 
 determine that the hazardous condition is present when the on-time duration of the digital signal is greater than the minimum on-time duration threshold and less than the maximum on-time duration threshold, and the off-time duration of the digital signal is less than the maximum off-time duration threshold. 
 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the processor-executable instructions that cause the apparatus to determine the off-time duration of the digital signal comprise instructions that cause the apparatus to:
 store a maximum off-time duration threshold in the memory equal to the off-time period; 
 after determining that the electronic signal has fallen below the second voltage threshold, determine when the electronic signal exceeds the first threshold a second time; 
 after determining when the electronic signal exceeds the first threshold a second time, determine a second time period equal to a time that the electronic signal remained below the second threshold; 
 compare the second time period to the maximum off-time duration threshold; and 
 determine that the hazardous condition is present when the processor determines that the first time period is greater than the on-time period and less than twice the on-time period less the gap time period, and when the second timer period is less than the maximum off-time duration threshold. 
 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the processor-executable instructions comprise further instructions that cause the apparatus to:
 determine that the hazardous condition is present when the processor determines that the first time period is greater than the on-time period and less than twice the on-time period less the gap time period, and when the second timer period is less than the maximum off-time duration threshold, repeated a number of two times. 
 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the hazardous condition comprises a fire. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the hazardous condition comprises a presence of carbon monoxide. 
     
     
       10. A method for determining when a hazardous condition is present inside a structure, comprising:
 converting a first pattern warning signal received from a first hazard detector and a second pattern warning signal received from a second hazard detector into a composite electronic signal, each of the first and second pattern warning signals comprising an on-time period followed by an off-time period; 
 determining that the hazardous condition is present based on the first pattern warning signal and the second pattern warning signal; and 
 transmitting an alarm signal to a receiver when the hazardous condition has been determined to be present, based on the on-time duration. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein determining that the hazardous condition is present comprises:
 converting the composite electronic signal into a digital signal; 
 determining an on-time duration of the digital signal as a time that the digital signal exceeded a first voltage threshold; 
 transmitting an alarm signal to a receiver when the hazardous condition has been determined to be present, based on the on-time duration. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein determining the on-time duration of the digital signal comprises:
 storing a minimum on-time duration threshold in the memory equal to the on-time period; 
 storing a maximum on-time duration threshold in the memory equal to twice the on-time period, less a gap time period; 
 determining when the digital signal exceeds the first voltage threshold; 
 after determining that the digital signal has exceeded the first voltage threshold, determining when the digital signal falls below a second voltage threshold; 
 determining the on-time duration of the digital signal based on the elapsed time between when the digital signal exceeded the first voltage threshold and when the digital signal fell below the second voltage threshold; 
 comparing the on-time duration of the digital signal to the minimum and maximum on-time duration thresholds; and 
 determining that the hazardous condition is present when the on-time duration of the digital signal is greater than the minimum on-time duration threshold and less than the maximum on-time duration threshold. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the gap time period is less than 10 percent of the on-time period. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 after determining the on-time of the digital signal, determining an off-time duration of the digital signal; and 
 determining that the hazardous condition is present when the on-time duration of the digital signal is greater than the minimum on-time duration threshold and less than the maximum on-time duration threshold, and the off-time duration of the digital signal is less than the maximum off-time duration threshold. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein determining the off-time duration of the digital signal comprises:
 storing a maximum off-time duration threshold in the memory equal to the off-time period; 
 after determining that the electronic signal has fallen below the second voltage threshold, determining when the electronic signal exceeds the first threshold a second time; 
 after determining when the electronic signal exceeds the first threshold a second time, determining a second time period equal to a time that the electronic signal remained below the second threshold; 
 comparing the second time period to the maximum off-time duration threshold; and 
 determining that the hazardous condition is present when the processor determines that the first time period is greater than the on-time period and less than twice the on-time period less the gap time period, and when the second timer period is less than the maximum off-time duration threshold. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 determining that the hazardous condition is present when the processor determines that the first time period is greater than the on-time period and less than twice the on-time period less the gap time period, and when the second timer period is less than the maximum off-time duration threshold, repeated a number of two times. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hazardous condition comprises a fire. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hazardous condition comprises a presence of carbon monoxide.